The Obsession
by ManateeMama
Summary: Brenda discovers she has a rival for Fritz's affections
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: We all have fantasies. But at what point do they cross the line?**

**Chapter 1**

Three of the girls who worked in the FBI's HR office were gathering for their usual lunchtime gossip session. Every other employee's faults, work habits, and family were fair game. One of the participants, Diane Black, was a trim, dark haired clerk. While she wasn't beautiful, as defined by LA standards, she was attractive and she prided herself on dressing to show off her assets. Under normal circumstances she was riveted by office gossip. But a major distraction had just walked into the lunch room. Special Agent Fritz Howard had taken a seat at a table with his partner Jerry Oakes and Special Agent Jackson. She didn't want to be obvious but couldn't help but let out a small sigh as her eyes followed him.

Her spell was broken when Corinne Bentson spoke in a low, conspiratorial tone. "I have some news that may interest you, Diane."

While none of the women in the group were agents, it hadn't taken special investigative skills to make each woman aware of Diane's unrequited love for Special Agent Howard. And they all had turned to look. They had to admit that he was one fine specimen. And if they were forced to be completely honest, they would have to admit that they all had enjoyed fantasies involving a naked Fritz Howard on more than one occasion. In addition, while they thought Diane was a little intense, they sympathized with her. They knew she dated frequently but never seemed to hold onto a boyfriend for long.

When Corinne saw that she had everyone's attention, she leaned forward and keeping her voice low so no one at a nearby table would hear her said, "Guess who put in a NAC this morning." Everyone at the table had been employed by the FBI long enough to know that the Bureau had an affinity for acronyms and used them for virtually everything. They also knew that NAC meant Notification of Address Change form.

"Fritz Howard?" Diane's eyes widened.

"Yes. He dropped it on my desk this morning. You know he took a couple of days off. He must have been moving."

"Where to?" Diane's voice disclosed more than a casual interest.

Suddenly mindful of privacy regulations, Corinne admonished, "Now you know I can't tell you that, Diane."

"I wonder if he's moved in with a girlfriend," Polly Garritson mused.

"I don't know. The NAC doesn't ask for that kind of information."

"Well, if he does have a serious girlfriend, that's one lucky woman," Polly said.

Diane suddenly realized she was in danger of overplaying her hand so she only nodded in agreement. Still, she desperately needed more information.

That afternoon, Diane's mind was in overdrive. She was a clerk and unskilled in any sort of detective work. It was difficult for her to come up with a plan which would give her the information she needed without getting caught and probably disciplined, possibly even fired. But she needed to know where he had moved to and if he had a girlfriend. As she worked, her plan took shape.

When everyone clocked out at the end of the day she headed into the Ladies Room and stayed there until all was quiet. Then she headed back into the HR office. If anyone saw her she would just explain that she left something and had to come back for it.

She sat down at her desk long enough to satisfy herself that everyone was gone and that she would not be observed. Then she moved to Corinne's desk and rifled through papers looking for the NAC. It was no longer there. Then she remembered their health insurance so she moved to another desk and searched until she found it. Diane was relieved to see that he still had a single policy. She copied the address on a piece of scrap paper, put all of the paperwork back the way she had found it, shoved the slip of paper into her purse and left.

Diane was in the habit of going home by way of Fritz's condo every few days even though it was out of her way. She took satisfaction in seeing the warm glow of his lights and imagined herself there with him cooking his meals, sitting beside him and, of course, sharing his bed. "The love making would be spectacular," she thought. But there were no lights on tonight and the blinds were closed. And there was a For Sale sign on the lawn.

If she had owned a GPS she would have punched in his new address and driven there. But she had long ago discovered that technology was not her friend. Even her basic cell phone was more than she could handle at times. But she was resourceful so she stopped at a nearby book store and bought the latest edition of the Thomas Guide for Los Angeles County.

At home that evening she mapped out the route she would take from her apartment past Fritz's new address. But it was an even longer route than before so she knew she had to wait until after work.

The next day when she found the house she saw a large U-Haul parked in the street beside the house. She was sure the U-Haul must be Fritz's but couldn't understand why it would still be there several days after he had moved. "Those things cost money," she thought, "Why wouldn't he just empty it and return it?"

There were no cars in the driveway so she felt comfortable driving around the block, then parking her car a few doors up and studying the house. Soon a large car, followed by a familiar SUV, drove up and she watched three people get out: Fritz and an elderly woman were in his SUV and a younger woman with long blonde hair emerged from the car. After opening the door and helping the elderly woman from the SUV, Fritz walked with the two women up onto the porch. Diane shrank down in her seat. Her heart was pounding for fear that she would be spotted and that Fritz would recognize her. But their backs were to her the entire time. She watched him open the door for the two women and follow them into the house.

"That was too close for comfort," she thought so she started her car and drove away. But if she had waited a few more minutes she would have seen Fritz leave the house, retrieve a few things from the U-Haul and drive away.

* * *

It was Saturday and, at long last, Mama was going home. Brenda tried to show restraint but she couldn't wait to get Mama to the airport.

Mama noticed. "Don't worry, dear. I'll be out of your way soon and Fritz can finally move all of his things in."

Now Brenda felt bad. Had she been that transparent? "Oh, Mama. Fritz can move his things in by himself. I just want to spend every remainin minute I can with you," she said as she hugged her mother.

"That's sweet, dear. I know you're lying but I love it anyway," Willie Ray said with a twinkle in her eye. "But I want to get to the airport in plenty of time. Those lines move so slowly and I have to take off my shoes. I'm just glad I'm not flying with your father. When we flew to New York to see your brother your father fussed and fumed for two whole hours."

"Really? I would think Daddy would understand the need for security measures," Brenda replied.

"Oh, he does. He just wanted something to complain about."

"Well, I'm glad he didn't come with you this time. And thank you for not tellin him about Fritz."

"No, I won't tell him. But you'd better tell him soon."

"I don't know how, Mama. He's gonna be so mad."

"Yes, he will be. But he'll get over it a lot faster if the news comes from you, Brenda Leigh." Willie Ray saw downright fear in her daughter's eyes so she continued, "Give me a few days to tell him about Fritz and show him the pictures. I'll tell him what a wonderful man Fritz is and how much he cares about you. And then you call your father and tell him. And I'll pretend that I'm learning about it at the same time."

"But he's still gonna explode."

"He certainly will. But the news has to come from you. Otherwise he'll have a harder time accepting Fritz." Willie Ray still saw doubt on Brenda's face so she gave her daughter a stern warning. "Don't you let him find out about it from anyone other than you. That would make it much worse."

"I know," Brenda sighed. "You're right."

"Oh, look at the time. We'd better get going," Willie Ray grabbed her purse and her tote while Brenda picked up her suitcase and closed the door behind them.

When she got back home Fritz was reintroducing his boxes to the house so Brenda grabbed a box and walked into the house with it. "Let me change my clothes and I'll h..." Brenda didn't get to finish her sentence because Fritz grabbed her and gave her a deep kiss.

"You were saying?" Fritz continued to hold her.

"I was just about to say that if you continue to kiss me like that you might prove useful, after all," Brenda quipped. "Now let me change my clothes so we can get the rest of your stuff in and finally get rid of 'that tacky U-Haul'."

Fritz grinned at her, gave her another quick kiss and went to retrieve more boxes. Since he had moved most of them in while Brenda was on her airport run, they finished up quickly and Brenda followed him in her car while he returned the U-Haul.

They had just turned the corner at the opposite end of the street when Diane once again drove by. She saw his SUV parked in front of the house but didn't see the blonde woman's car. And she noticed the U-Haul was gone. "I wish that meant that he'd locked her in it and driven it into the Pacific," she said.

When she pulled away Diane decided to go by Fritz's old condo just in case they were there. She didn't see Fritz but she saw something almost as good: an Open House sign. She quickly parked the car and entered the condo. After signing the register with her mother's maiden name she stood in the hallway looking into the living room. While she liked the furnishings, she was surprised. She saw Fritz as being more contemporary than the Queen Anne furniture and art work that she was seeing.

Diane walked through the condo slowly taking everything in. She was thankful that the real estate agent was busy with a middle aged couple. That left her free to imagine Fritz in front of the fireplace. She moved into the bedroom and caressed the bed. She lingered there a minute, then walked into the bathroom and imagined herself with Fritz naked in the shower lovingly washing each other. Returning to the bedroom she imagined herself in that bed with Fritz. She stayed there long enough that the real estate agent finished with his potential buyers and moved to her.

"May I answer any questions for you?"

"What? Oh, yes," Diane recovered quickly. "Does this condo come furnished?"

"No, I'm afraid not. The real estate agency leases the furniture and the window treatments."

"Oh, I thought maybe the previous owner was selling the furniture too."

"No. We just like to furnish these condos when we show them. It gives off a much more homey vibe," the agent smiled at her.

"Well, that's disappointing. I am looking for something in this price range. But I'd like it to be already furnished."

Diane eased away from the agent and returned to her own apartment. "Well, finally I got to see his condo," she prided herself as she drove home.

The following Monday at lunch, Polly Garritson was eager to share the gossip she'd picked up when she had gone to the break room for coffee that morning. "Well, girls, I've solved the Fritz Howard mystery." No one could miss the pride in Polly's voice.

"What have you heard?" Corinne asked.

"I found out that he's not living alone. He moved in with his girlfriend. And you're never going to believe who it is." When she had held her friends' attention long enough she continued, "LAPD Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson." And then for emphasis she said "THE Deputy Chief Johnson that all the agents hate. Can you believe it?"

"What? That can't be right. Every agent either hates her or is afraid of her," Corinne said.

"Actually, both. But it's true. I heard Jerry Oakes telling Tom Benedict about it when I went for coffee. And he should know. He's Fritz Howard's partner," Polly was adamant.

"But the guys say she's a bitch. They even call her 'a real ball buster'. I can't believe that Fritz would go for someone like her." Diane added, "He's too nice. He deserves a woman who is sweet and loving."

"Well, since he's moved in with her he must have figured out a way to protect his balls," Polly said and everyone at the table laughed.

"I wonder what she looks like," Diane said. "Has anyone seen her?"

"No, but I've heard that she's beautiful," Polly said. "When we get back upstairs I'll google her and see if I can find a picture of her."

Later Polly called Diane and Corinne over to her desk and showed them a photo of Deputy Chief Johnson that she'd found. The woman was in her LAPD uniform with her hat on. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and her expression was solemn.

"Wow," Diane said. "The guys think she's beautiful? Not to me. I think she looks like a horrible shrew."

"I don't think she looks bad at all. But I guess Fritz Howard's opinion is the only one that matters," Corinne said and the women returned to work.

Over the next few days, Diane drove by the little bungalow every chance she got. "What does he see in her?" she frequently asked herself. "What does she have that I don't have? I just don't get it." One night as she was watching a Hallmark Channel movie about an unrequited love finally fulfilled, Diane started to cry. "It's not fair!" she sobbed. "I saw him first. I've loved him for years. And she waltzes in and takes him away from me? No way! I've got to think of some way to get him back."

The more she thought about that bitch stealing her Fritz the madder she got until her hatred reached a white heat. Finally her molten hatred formed the genesis of a plan. The next day she applied for a gun permit and since she had no criminal record she didn't have to wait long to be approved. Then she withdrew money from her savings account and bought a small, easily concealed handgun. Diane used the store's recommended shooting range to practice. She was a terrible shot but decided that she would be so close to the bitch that good shooting skills wouldn't be necessary. On her way home she stopped at the mall and bought a blonde wig, a baseball cap and a large pair of sunglasses.

But how would she work it so she was alone with the bitch? How would she get into the house when Fritz wasn't there? And what about the old lady? She didn't know who she was and she meant her no harm. Was she there all the time? If so what would she do about her? And could she really kill another human being? She was assured that she had the answer to that last question. She hated the bitch so much that she took pleasure in thinking about killing her. But she forced herself to temper her enthusiasm. "I won't get a second chance so everything has to be perfect," she told herself.

That night she watched a murder mystery movie on TV. The villain took pains to make sure that he learned his victim's routine. Diane decided that she also needed to know the bitch's routine so she studied when she came home from work each night. But it became evident to Diane that she had a problem. Apparently the bitch's hours weren't predictable. She frequently worked really late hours and when she was home at a normal time Fritz was there too. She wasn't seeing evidence of the old lady so she decided she didn't have to worry about her. But she realized that she also needed to study the bitch's morning routine. After two weeks of getting up early and watching when Brenda and Fritz left for work, Diane realized that after working late the bitch would sometimes stay home later the following morning. After Fritz left for work she would have her chance. So her best plan was to watch carefully the night before when the bitch came home late and then call in sick the next morning.

But how would she get into the house? Since both Fritz and the bitch were law enforcement officers chances are they had a security system. She had seen shows on TV where silent alarms were used so she didn't dare try to break in. Besides, she was hardly strong enough to kick in a solid wood door.

She finally chose a ruse which she hoped would work. She would wait until after Fritz left for work when she knew the bitch had worked late the night before so she was home in the morning. Hopefully she would still be a little sleepy and sluggish. She would knock on the door and tell the bitch that Fritz had asked her to pick up a set of papers he had forgotten. That should get her inside the house. When the bitch went to look for the papers she would draw her gun and shoot her. It would have to be fast. "If I can draw my gun first, I've got her," she concluded.

But the best part of her plan would come after she killed the bitch. She would attend the funeral pretending to be distraught over the bitch's death. She would tell Fritz that she had known her and say nice things about her, repeating things she would read in the bitch's obituary and hear during her eulogy. And she would console him. She would invite him to join her on break at work and continue to be sympathetic and supportive. She would invite him for a home cooked meal and he would be grateful and soon ask her out. Then he would see that he belonged with her and he would be hers for the rest of her life. "This plan is perfect," she smiled to herself.

The next day at lunch Polly alerted Corinne and Diane when Fritz Howard walked into the lunch room. But this time he stepped up to Bruce Canton's table, exchanged a few words and both men left together.

"Oh, too bad, Diane. Now we've lost the only good reason for eating here," Corinne said.

"Don't worry. I have a plan. Fritz Howard doesn't know it yet but he'll soon be all mine," Diane replied with a strangely intense voice and an expression that was both hard and smug.

Polly was surprised by both Diane's tone and expression so she pressed her for more information. When none was forthcoming she concluded with a little reality orientation. "You do know that his girlfriend is an LAPD Deputy Chief. You do remember that, right?"

Diane gave a strange little laugh and said, "Not a problem. I can deal with her." And although both Polly and Corinne tried to extract more information from her, Diane just smiled in a self-satisfied way and said nothing more.

To be continued...

**A/N: Now please review. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Once again, your review is extremely important to me. Thanks.**

**Chapter 2**

Brenda woke up before Fritz. She lay there feeling his warmth. Just the sound of his breathing made her feel at peace. His sleeping next to her just seemed so right. Why had she been afraid to let him move in? All her fears seemed so distant now.

Soon her awakening mind drifted to the day's agenda. Since she had worked late the last three nights she planned to stay home today. She and Fritz had gone to a garden center over the weekend and they had bought two rose bushes. She wanted to get them planted this morning and get the flower bed weeded before the afternoon heat took over.

But Fritz wasn't taking the day off and it was time for him to get up. So she turned to him and began kissing his shoulder and working her way up his neck to his ear. He awoke, smiled and gave her a return kiss so she did the only reasonable thing she could do. She climbed on top of him and continued kissing him with greatly increased intensity.

Much later, after a hurried breakfast, Fritz rushed to grab his briefcase and head out the door. Soon he was back for a forgotten folder and one last kiss.

"Are you sure you have everythin?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, this is the only case file I brought home last night."

"I'll bet that's because there was a Dodgers game on TV," Brenda grinned as he kissed her one more time.

"I'll stop for souvlaki on my way home tonight," he promised as he finally left for work.

"Don't forget the baklava," Brenda called after him.

Brenda was in the bathroom and the water was running so she didn't hear the phone ring. She put on cut-offs and her sun hat and then grabbed her cell phone and shoved it into her pocket without noticing a missed call. Then she headed out the front door.

* * *

Diane had called in sick that morning. She was sitting in her car, wearing her blonde wig and watching Fritz as he left for work. "Soon, darling, soon," she whispered to him. A few minutes later she saw the bitch coming out the front door and going around to the side of the house. This caused her to breathe a huge sigh of relief. She knew the success of her plan would not depend on a ruse to get into the house.

She had watched the neighbors leave for work so she knew she could shoot the bitch right in her own yard and no one would see her. She was absolutely giddy thinking about how well her plan was going to work. She knew that in just a few minutes her wonderful plan would finally be executed and then Fritz Howard would be hers. As she put on her oversized sunglasses and her baseball cap she sang softly to herself, "Ding dong, the bitch is dead." She checked herself in the mirror and was satisfied that she would not be recognized.

* * *

After clocking in, Polly grabbed a cup of coffee and a donut before going to her desk. She noticed that Diane wasn't at her desk yet even though it was 9:00. "Where's Diane?" she asked Corinne.

"She called in sick today," was the reply.

This didn't seem right to Polly. Diane Black had never taken a sick day in the entire four years she'd worked for the Bureau. As she ate her donut and drank her coffee she kept thinking about Diane's strange behavior at lunch the day before. The more she tried to concentrate on her work, the more bothered she was by Diane's mysterious behavior.

Finally she caught Corinne's attention and motioned for her to follow her. There was no one in the break room so they entered and Corinne asked, "What's the matter?"

Polly answered her question with a question. "What did you think about Diane's behavior at lunch yesterday?"

"I have to admit it was strange. Creepy, even."

"And today she's called in sick. She's never taken a sick day before."

"You don't think she'd do anything crazy, do you," Corinne's eyes were getting large.

"I don't know for sure but she creeped me out too. And lunch wasn't the only time. Do you remember her expression when she saw Brenda Johnson's picture?" Corinne shook her head no so Polly explained. "She had this look of pure hatred. Hatred for someone she had never even seen before. It was so intense and it was scary."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have the feeling I should say something to Agent Howard. Maybe it's crazy but what if she is planning to do something? I'd never forgive myself."

"Don't you think a Deputy Chief could handle her? I mean she couldn't get to that rank without being able to handle angry people."

"I don't know. But the level of hatred I saw... I just don't know." Polly went back to her desk and after another moment's thought called Fritz Howard's extension. "No answer," she said to herself. "He might be out in the field."

Polly stared at the phone for a second then she checked their office directory for Special Agent Howard's FBI cell phone number. They were not allowed to use the directory for personal business but Polly reasoned that this was possibly an emergency so she punched in the numbers.

"Special Agent Fritz Howard, FBI," Fritz answered.

"Agent Howard, my name is Polly Garritson. I work in the HR office," she began.

"Yes, Mrs. Garritson. I know who you are. How can I help you?"

She cleared her throat and began, "This might be nothing but I'm worried that you and your girlfriend might not be safe." And she went on to tell Fritz about Diane Black's crush on him and her comments the day before. "But I'm more worried because I saw the look on her face when she saw Chief Johnson's picture. I've never seen so much hatred, Agent Howard. And she's called in sick today. Diane hasn't taken a sick day in the four years she's worked here. And I can't get her behavior yesterday out of my mind."

"I see. Thank you for letting me know. No, no. Don't worry. If nothing is wrong I won't say a word. But it's better to check the situation out. Thank you, Mrs. Garritson."

When Fritz clicked off the call he tried calling Brenda but there was no answer on either the land line or her cell phone. He immediately did a U turn and headed for the house at top speed.

* * *

"This plan will work. It has to work," Diane said to herself. After she had eliminated the bitch she would wipe her prints from the gun and throw the gun, wig, and sunglasses into three separate dumpsters before going home. When she was satisfied that everything was ready she drove around the block again. Her palms were so sweaty that she found it difficult to hold the wheel. She stopped and parked directly in front of the house. "Here we go," she said to herself as she got out of the car, leaving the engine running for a quick get-away. As she approached Brenda her mouth was dry and her heart was pounding. Beads of sweat were breaking out on her upper lip.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Diane's voice was shaking but she pressed ahead, "Are you Brenda Johnson?"

Brenda looked up and smiled. But the woman's demeanor and her appearance told her that something was wrong so she stood up before replying, "May I help you?"

Diane immediately drew her gun. "Yes, you can help me, bitch. You can die!"

Brenda saw that the woman's hand was shaking badly and her finger was on the trigger and twitching reflexively. She realized that this made her more dangerous than just about any other armed person she had dealt with. She tried to take a mental inventory of possible weapons she could grab to defend herself but there was nothing.

Before Brenda had time to think of a plan, the woman's arm was extended full length and she was beginning to squeeze the trigger. Instantly, Brenda's long-forgotten martial arts training took over, spurring her into action. Without conscious thought, her right leg flew up and she kicked the gun from Diane's hand, breaking her wrist in the process. As soon as her right leg touched down, Brenda pivoted on it and her left leg flew up and landed a crushing blow to Diane's face, breaking her nose and jaw and knocking out two teeth. Diane crashed to the ground writhing in pain.

Brenda kicked the gun far from Diane's grasp before she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called Sgt. Gabriel. "David, I need some help," she panted. "I was just attacked in my yard by a woman and I need an ambulance and a police escort for her. No, I'm fine. The ambulance is for her. Thank you."

Putting her phone back in her pocket she turned her attention to the woman crying and writhing in pain on her lawn. She walked up to the woman and saw that her wig was askew so she pulled it off and demanded, "Who are you?"

But the woman couldn't answer. She just continued to cry and moan in pain so Brenda read her her rights. Soon after Brenda told her that she was under arrest she heard sirens approaching.

* * *

Fritz saw the LAPD cars up ahead with sirens and lights blazing so he punched the accelerator and caught up with the police cars before they reached the next stoplight and then he tailed them right to his house. He stopped right in the middle of the street. While Priority Homicide dealt with the woman on the ground, Fritz ran up to Brenda and embraced her. As he ran Diane heard him shout, "Brenda! Brenda, are you all right?"

Then Diane saw Fritz embrace Brenda as she replied, "Yes, yes, I'm fine. But I'm afraid she's not."

Fritz ignored Diane and continued to hold Brenda close while saying, "I could have lost you."

Brenda felt his whole body trembling and again reassured him that she was unharmed. Then she broke from his embrace and turned her attention to her squad. "Her gun is in the grass over there." Then to the ambulance attendant she said, "I think she's got a sore jaw, possibly broken." Turning to Sgt. Gabriel she said, "I don't know who she is or why she intended to kill me. Ask Commander Taylor to have Central Division put a 24 hour guard outside her room." David nodded and walked away as he pulled out his cell phone.

"I know who she is. Her name is Diane Black and she's a clerk in the FBI's HR office," Fritz said.

"I've never seen her before in my life. Do you know why she wanted to kill me?" Brenda asked.

"Yeah, I think so. She was jealous of you."

"Jealous? Of me? Why?"

"Believe it or not, one of her co-workers told me that she's jealous because I moved in with you."

"God, Fritz. You could have told me you had a secret admirer."

"I didn't know anything about it until about twenty minutes ago."

Fritz drove Brenda to Parker Center where she was debriefed about what had happened. Even though everyone in Priority Homicide knew that she was living with Fritz, she normally wanted to keep him at arm's length while at work. But this time she took comfort in his presence. When she gave her statement and answered FID's questions about the injuries sustained by the suspect, Fritz also gave his statement about what he knew about the entire situation. After their interviews Brenda wanted to continue with the investigation but Will ordered her to take the rest of the day off.

Driving home, Fritz asked, "What would you like to do about dinner?"

"I'm not hungry. Can we just stay in tonight? My legs are startin to get stiff and I think I'd like to just rest."

"Sure. We can order a pizza and watch TV," Fritz agreed.

The next morning Brenda awoke in pain. Her leg muscles had apparently decided that they were going to punish her for those two kicks the day before. After a hot shower and breakfast with an aspirin chaser she felt better and was starting to limber up but made a mental note that her martial arts days were behind her. "This must be what gettin old feels like," she muttered.

When Fritz walked into the office that morning, all eyes were on him. Just as Jerry started to make a joke about the "LAPD Amazon" decimating the HR office, Fritz interrupted him. "Don't even go there, Jerry. I almost lost Brenda."

Jerry nodded and said, "Yeah, that is scary. I don't know how we missed that Diane Black was a whack job."

Agent Tony Abruzzi had come into the office and decided that he couldn't pass up the opportunity. "Just the fact that she had a crush on you should have been a big clue."

Agent Bruce Canton joked, "Now, Tony, don't be jealous. We can't hate him because he's beautiful." The rest of Fritz's coworkers couldn't contain their guffaws when they heard Bruce's jab.

Fritz just rolled his eyes, put his briefcase on his desk and headed into the break room for coffee. As he started to open the door he saw that every eye was on him. "I guess I'm going to run the gauntlet all day today," he thought. And he was right. There were all sorts of jokes about his secret admirer, special "benefits" from HR, and his looks which he tried to accept in the spirit they were made. His response was usually to just shake his head and say nothing.

But one thing he would not allow anyone to joke about was the danger to Brenda. When anyone started to mention her, he cut them off right away and let them know that kidding about her possibly being murdered was crossing a line.

Back at his desk, he was interrupted by a call from his boss, Dave Martin, requesting that he come to his office.

"Come on in," Dave answered when Fritz knocked on his door.

"You had quite a scare yesterday. How are you doing?"

"I'm all right. I think dealing with the other guys here is the worst part," Fritz said ruefully.

"And how is Brenda handling this?"

"She was pretty shaken up and sore but she's a professional. She's back at work trying to figure out how to get a confession from Diane Black."

"I was going to ask you if you feel you need to take the day off today," Dave offered.

"No, I'm OK. But I've been thinking that if Brenda can't get a confession I might like to try."

"That would be all right with the Bureau. Since she's not an agent she's not our property and under the circumstances, I think we can offer assistance to the LAPD. Just keep me in the loop. Director Walling was briefed by Chief Thompson last evening so he wants me to keep him updated."

"Thank you, Dave. I'll keep you informed about what's going on."

That same morning Brenda asked Sgt. Gabriel to check with the hospital on Diane's condition. A few minutes later he hung up his phone and reported, "Chief, Diane Black had surgery to repair her jaw and they put a cast on her broken wrist yesterday." He paused for a minute appraising his boss before asking, "How did you manage to do so much damage to her without a baseball bat?"

Brenda saw that every member of her squad was waiting for her answer so she just said, "Easy, Sargent. She was bigger than I am so she made an easy target." She turned around and walked back into her office feeling the eyes of every member of the squad following her.

Later Sgt. Gabriel knocked on her door. "Excuse me, Chief. I just checked with the hospital and they say she's sedated. They say she'll probably be discharged day after tomorrow and we can interview her tomorrow morning. Who do you want to send?"

"I think I'd like to try, Sargent, but I'd like you to accompany me. If she won't talk to me, she might talk to you. Call the hospital first thing tomorrow and get an update, please."

"Sure, Chief."

The next day Brenda and Sgt. Gabriel went to see Diane. Brenda left Sgt. Gabriel in the hall. When she entered her room, Diane looked at Brenda and said as clearly as she could, "Get out! I'm not talking to you. Look what you did to me! I hate you, bitch!" Diane's pronunciation was slurred because of her jaw but there was no mistaking her continuing hatred for Brenda.

"Diane, I don't want to make this any harder on you than absolutely necessary. If you will talk to me I might be able to work out a deal with the DA's office. Otherwise you're gonna do a lot of prison time."

"Go to hell, bitch!"

"All right then, Diane," Brenda said. "But think about the choice you're making. Think about going to prison for the best part of your life." When she stepped out of the room she nodded to Sgt. Gabriel and said, "Sargent, I got nowhere. Why don't you give it a try?"

As Sargent Gabriel tried to interview her Diane just turned her head away and refused to speak. But she became increasingly more agitated until she finally yelled, "I SAID GO TO HELL!" Diane screamed so loudly that a doctor making rounds on the floor burst into the room. Even though Sgt. Gabriel flashed his badge, the doctor said that they'd both have to leave so they complied.

"I take it you didn't get any more out of her," Brenda said as she and Gabriel walked to the elevator.

"I guess I just wasn't her type," David responded.

When they arrived back in the office, Brenda asked Lt. Flynn to get Corinne Bentson and Polly Garritson into the office to be interviewed first thing tomorrow morning.

"Sure thing, Chief," Flynn replied.

That evening, Brenda told Fritz about her attempt to interview Diane. "I just couldn't break through to her, Fritzi. Her level of hatred is off the charts."

"I know you're the best interrogator, Brenda, but I think you're the wrong interrogator for her."

"I'm beginnin to think so too. Do you know anythin about her family?"

"No, nothing. Why?"

"She refused to talk to a psychiatrist today too. I wonder if she'd respond to a father figure."

"Are you talking about Provenza? Seriously?"

"Lieutenant Provenza can be very fatherly," Brenda said.

"Well, I've never seen a paternal side to him."

"I don't think it's his favorite role to play. But he can do it when he needs to. Do you think it might work?"

"Brenda, I don't really know this woman at all. All I know about her is that she works in HR. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with her."

"Well, she certainly wanted to get to know you better," Brenda said. "That is now abundantly clear to me."

"I think I'd like to talk to her," Fritz said.

"Fritz, she's not an agent and she attempted to kill me in LAPD's territory. She's under arrest so this is an LAPD case." Brenda was beginning to sound defensive.

"I know that. I don't want to take the case away from you. I just think that if she's going to talk to anyone it would probably be me."

"So, you want to get to know your secret admirer better. Is that it?"

"No, of course not. But if I could convince her that I needed to understand her better, she would probably talk to me." Fritz was not in a joking mood.

"But would you have to go by FBI rules? Would you have to stick to the truth?"

"She already knows the truth, Brenda. She knows that I barely knew who she was and that I had already chosen you. I don't think anything would be gained by lying about that."

"But you might get more information if she thought there was some hope for her."

"Brenda, I would not do that. I would never do anything that would put you at risk."

"I'm not at risk any more, Fritzi."

"But she will eventually get out of prison, or out of a mental hospital if that's where she winds up. And if she thinks there's still hope for her with me, she might come after you again."

Brenda hadn't thought about that. The idea caused her to exhale quickly. "If Lieutenant Provenza can't get a confession from her, then you can try. But not while she's in the hospital. In my interview room with you wearin an earwig and me observin." She was adamant.

"Ok. But according to Polly Garritson she has studied me very closely. She'll know I'm wearing an ear piece."

"I don't think that will matter. If she's that obsessed with you she'll jump at the chance to talk to you. But just so you know. If you want to take her wine and flowers, the FBI is footin the bill."

"I don't think wine and flowers would serve any useful purpose."

"I don't know. They might significantly lower her resistance to your charms. Now I, on the other hand, have no resistance to your charms," she said as she put her arms around Fritz's neck.

"Is that so?" Fritz said and then kissed her. "I think I need to test your resistance level right now."

To Be Continued...

**A/N: And now, please leave your review. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next day, Lt. Flynn brought Corinne Bentson and Polly Garritson into the office and put them in separate interview rooms.

Brenda started with Corinne. "Hello, Mrs. Bentson. My name is Brenda Johnson. Thank you for comin in to help us out this mornin."

"You're welcome. And please call me Corinne. But before we talk I want to make sure that Diane will not know what we say."

"Our conversation is completely confidential, Corinne. I just need to understand what caused Diane to attack me."

During the interview Brenda learned that Diane had been subject to intense crushes as long as Corinne had known her. Most of them were of movie and television characters so Corinne didn't consider them harmful. "It wasn't the actor. It was the character," she explained.

Corinne said that she thought Diane first started obsessing about Agent Howard about eight months ago, although Diane had said that she'd been in love with him for years. "But I'm not sure that's true because a year ago she was obsessing about a TV soap opera character named Sean Powers. I remember her reaction to finding out he had eloped with some model. She just about fell apart. Why, she cried for three days about a character who wasn't even real."

"Did she have a lot of obsessive crushes?" Brenda asked.

"Oh, yes. One right after the other. Some only lasted a few weeks but a couple lasted about a year. The crush she had on Agent Howard seemed to be the most intense, though. Maybe because she actually saw him a lot."

"Did you ever hear her threaten Agent Howard if he didn't return her interest?"

"No. She directed all her anger at you, not Agent Howard."

Polly's interview confirmed everything that Corinne had said. She described Diane's implied threat against Brenda as being creepy and said that when Diane called in sick she "Just had a sick feeling that she was going to try something. She scared me. That's why I called Agent Howard and told him about it. I hate to say it, but I almost didn't call him. It just seemed so over the top, you know?"

"Yes, I know. Well, Polly, I'm certainly glad you called him. You did the right thing," Brenda smiled at her.

After the interviews Brenda walked back into the Murder Room and Det. Sanchez said, "Chief, Diane Black has been released from the hospital and they're transporting her to the County Jail's infirmary right now. Do you want her brought here for an interview?"

"No, I think I'd like Lieutenant Provenza to interview her at the jail. Lieutenant, can you put on your sympathetic, fatherly face for her?"

"Oh sure, Chief. I have a lot of sympathy for psychos," he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Lieutenant Provenza, I want you to have a lot of sympathy for her and a lot of fatherly protectiveness too. Let's see if that will get her to talk."

"When do you want me to go?"

"No time like the present. Call the jail and see if she can be held in a cell until you interview her instead of in the infirmary. She doesn't have a record so bein strip searched and held in a jail cell may just induce her to cooperate a little more. I'll sign an authorization for you to wear a wire and I want Buzz to go with you to tape everythin."

"I'll set it up, Chief," Provenza said as he picked up the phone. Brenda walked into the Electronics Room to tell Buzz what she wanted.

Much later, Provenza and Buzz returned. "We didn't get anything, Chief. She refused to talk to me," Provenza said.

"Did she ask for an attorney?" Brenda asked.

"No, she didn't. I didn't read her her rights, though."

"That's all right. I did and so did Sargent Gabriel. Well, tomorrow I want her brought here, but not under the influence of any pain medication. Please arrange that, Lieutenant. Tomorrow she's gonna be interviewed by the Big Gun. And thank you both for tryin."

"Chief, who is 'The Big Gun'?" Det. Sanchez asked.

"Why, her boyfriend, of course," Brenda replied with a smile and then walked back into her office.

That night at dinner, Fritz asked, "How did Provenza do today?"

"Not well at all," Brenda replied. When she saw Fritz's I-told-you-so smirk she added, "I listened to the tape. He was very good with her. He was supportive, sympathetic and downright nurturin but she refused to talk to him. But at least she didn't keep tellin Lieutenant Provenza to go to hell like she did me and Sargent Gabriel."

"Do you want me to try?"

"Would you?"

"You know I will. I already talked to Dave about it and he has no objection. But I think I'll leave the wine and flowers behind."

"I don't care what you do if it results in a confession," Brenda replied.

Fritz raised his eyebrows. "You don't care what I do?" He was grinning.

"Well, I didn't mean _that_. Just remember, Casanova, that I'll be in the Electronics Room watchin your every move."

This brought another grin. Then he became serious once more. "Is she in any shape to be brought to Parker Center?"

"She was transferred to the County Jail infirmary today. Lieutenant Provenza arranged for her to be transported to us tomorrow. And the doctor agreed that she could come without any pain medication."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I don't want a defense attorney to get her confession thrown out because she was medicated," Brenda explained. "I'm sure she'll still be in pain but the doctor said it would be ok. Besides, she deserves a little hurtin."

"You'd better get that in writing or she can claim that she didn't know what she was saying because of the pain," Fritz advised.

"Good idea. I'll get that taken care of before you interview her."

"You know what still bothers me?" Fritz asked.

"What?"

"That neither one of us noticed her watching the house. This woman is definitely not a genius."

"I know. But neither one of us spends any time lookin out the windows," Brenda said. "I'm bettin that she was followin me and I've been gettin home after dark."

"Oh, by the way. There's a message from your mother on your answering machine. She wants you to call her," Fritz remembered.

"Mmm. I know what she wants. She wants me to call Daddy and tell him you're livin here."

"And you don't want to do that for the same reason I had to live out of a U-Haul for a week?" Annoyance was creeping into his voice.

"I know, I know, Fritzi. But you don't know Daddy. He still wants to believe I'm a fourteen year old virgin or somethin."

"He wouldn't think that if you'd just tell him like a grown woman instead of a scared teenager."

"Look, I know you think I'm handlin this all wrong. But Daddy's gonna explode and I'm tryin to figure out a way to keep that from happenin."

"I don't understand you, Brenda. You're so tough with other people. And you certainly don't mind making me as mad as hell. But you can't tell your parents that their grown daughter has a live in boyfriend?"

"Look, I know you want me to just tell him. But it's complicated with Daddy. I'm tryin to figure out a way to tell him so he doesn't hate you for the rest of your life."

Fritz just shook his head and started clearing the table. Changing the subject he asked, "What can you tell me about your interviews with the two other HR clerks that can help me tomorrow?"

"They both said pretty much the same thing. They said that Diane was very intense and that she had trouble maintainin real relationships. She dated but couldn't seem to hang onto a boyfriend for long. And she has had a series of crushes, most of them on fictional characters she saw on TV or in the movies. Diane told them she'd been in love with you for the entire four years she's worked for the FBI. But they said that she actually has had a crush on you only for about eight months."

"So she magnified it in her mind. There's a surprise," Fritz commented.

Brenda nodded and continued, "They also said that her crush on you was the most intense one they'd ever seen and they figured that's because you were right in the same buildin and she saw you a lot. Oh, they also said that although she had never seen me before, when they showed her a picture of me in my uniform the level of her hatred shot through the roof."

"Thanks. That'll help me figure out how to play this."

"I just wish you didn't have to follow FBI rules. I still think you'd do better to make her think she has a chance with you."

"Do we really need to have this discussion again? She's too unstable, Brenda. And we don't know how long it'll be before she makes bail and is back out on the streets."

"Anyway, if you can't get a confession from her maybe we could put a wire on Corinne or Polly and send one of them to the jail to talk to her."

"I think I can get her to talk to me."

The next morning Lt. Provenza met Diane and the Sheriff's deputies who were providing her escort at the elevator and put them all in an interview room. Brenda and Fritz were watching from the Electronics Room as Lt. Provenza reminded her of her rights and the deputies handcuffed her good wrist to her chair.

"God, she looks terrible, Brenda," Fritz said looking at her swollen, purple face. "I would never have recognized her."

"She's a mess, all right. Maybe that could be your way in," Brenda suggested.

"That's what I was just thinking. I want to stay away from her romantic fantasies as much as I can," Fritz commented just as Will, Commander Taylor, and all of Priority Homicide trooped into the small room.

"You're playin to a full house. Good luck," Brenda smiled at him. "Buzz, would you please give Agent Howard an earwig? Thank you." Then she turned back to Fritz. "As long as you're makin progress I won't bother you. But if she doesn't cooperate I may make some suggestions."

As he inserted the earwig Fritz nodded to Brenda and acknowledged the others in the room. "Ladies, gentlemen," he said and walked the short distance to the interview room.

When the door opened and Diane saw Fritz enter the room she was horrified. She hadn't looked at herself in the mirror but she knew her eyes were so swollen that she could barely see and that her jaw was even more swollen and just as sore as it was before the surgery. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Deputies, would you leave us alone, please? Hello, Diane, I'm here because I wanted to talk to you. How are you feeling?" Fritz asked softly as the deputies left the room.

Diane ducked her head in embarrassment but she heard warmth in his voice so she answered, "Horrible. Probably as bad as I look."

"Yeah, you were pretty banged up."

"She tried to kill me. And nothing happens to her, even though I look like this," Diane said bitterly.

"Well, Diane, she said that the only reason she kicked you was because you were going to shoot her. Was she wrong?"

Diane said nothing. She just tried to cover her face with her hand.

"Can you tell me what happened? I need to hear about it from your point of view," Fritz said so softly that the microphones barely picked up his voice.

"You don't care about me. I don't matter to you," Diane started to cry.

"The truth matters. And I need to hear what happened in order to know what the truth is," Fritz explained as he handed Diane a tissue.

"But won't I get in even more trouble?"

"How much more trouble could you get into? You were on Chief Johnson's property. The LAPD has the gun. It's registered to you and it has your fingerprints on it. And they've heard Chief Johnson's side of the story. The only thing that's missing is your side."

"I went to her home to talk to her," Diane started and then stopped.

"What did you want to talk to her about?" Fritz prompted her to continue.

"I was trying to decide if I wanted to ask you to dinner and I wanted to know if she was serious about you."

"What did she say?"

"She never said anything. She just started kicking me. She's crazy."

"Do you think that your gun scared her?"

"I never drew that gun. It must have fallen out of my purse when she kicked me."

"The magnetic clasp on your purse was closed, Diane, and the gun was a long way from it."

"Then I don't know. But I do know that she started it. She's crazy."

"Well, how about this? You went to her home and you drew your gun first."

Diane tried to shake her head no but it hurt too much so she said, "No, that's not true."

"I think it is true. But what I don't understand is why."

"My head hurts. I want to lie down," was Diane's response.

"I know." Fritz was trying to sound as sympathetic as possible. "But the doctor said you could be interviewed. I'm sure you don't feel very good. I just want to get this over with so you can go back and lie down. But the LAPD isn't going to let you go until we all know what your side of the story is."

Diane started to nod but stopped and then said, "I'll answer your questions. But I won't talk to her. She's crazy."

"No, she's not here. I am."

"Let's just get this over with."

"All right. Thank you, Diane. I appreciate it. You're a brave woman. Before this happened I didn't really know you but I've heard that you are a good, hard worker and that you're very kind and helpful to everyone in your office."

Diane tried to smile. "I try to be helpful whenever I can be."

"Then can you help me to understand? Can you be helpful to me?" His tone was gentle and imploring and Diane finally broke.

"I just wanted..." she started to cry.

"What did you want? To ask me out, like you said?"

"Yes. I wanted to date you."

"Then why didn't you just ask me out?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't accept. Because of her," Diane cried.

"So how were you going to deal with that?" Diane didn't answer so Fritz continued, "Diane, I don't think you're a monster. And I'd like to help you. But I can't if you won't tell me everything. Please, help me."

"It's true. I got a gun. I couldn't think of any other way."

"Why were you wearing a wig?"

"So I wouldn't be recognized."

"That sounds like you put together a pretty good plan. You know one reason I enjoy my job so much is that I admire people who can put together a great plan. They're smart and I like smart people."

"It was a great plan. I had the gun and the wig. And I had been watching her house so I knew when she would be alone. I was going to do it quick so I wouldn't chicken out," she said with pride in her voice.

"You were going to do what?"

"I was going to shoot her. It's true. But she attacked me first." Then Diane broke down sobbing. "And now I look horrible. And she doesn't have a scratch on her. She gets to go on with her life. And she still has you."

Fritz spoke gently but firmly. "That's true. Brenda and I both will go on with our lives. I know you have feelings for me but it was never going to work. You can't win someone's affection by trying to destroy another person. I just wish you had chosen someone unattached, someone who could return your feelings."

Diane just hung her head in silence. Finally, Fritz put his hand gently on the cast on her wrist. "Well, thank you for telling me what happened. I know that was hard for you. And now I am sure you want to go back and lie down." He signaled the deputies who were watching just outside the door. When they entered the room Fritz said goodbye and walked back to the Electronics Room.

"Thank you. You did a wonderful job," Brenda said. "That should do the trick."

"If she doesn't get off with a short stay in a mental hospital. She isn't the least bit sorry that she tried to kill you. She's just upset because you fought back and hurt her."

"I'm sure she'll have a mental health exam soon and if she knows right from wrong she'll be in prison for quite a long time," Commander Taylor said.

"Hopefully that exam will keep her from makin bail. Otherwise I'm gonna sleep with my gun under my pillow," Brenda replied.

"You and me both," Fritz added.

A week later Brenda and Fritz were in court for Diane's preliminary hearing. DDA Lois Harmon had spoken to Brenda and advised her that the State was going to recommend that Diane be held without bail pending the outcome of a mental health evaluation. She also advised them that they both could be called to testify in the preliminary hearing and any future hearings, if necessary.

"That's fine," Brenda said.

When they brought Diane in, Brenda saw that the swelling had gone down and the bruising had turned green. She could tell that Diane had been an attractive woman. Lois knew what she was thinking and whispered to Brenda, "It's a good thing she doesn't look like she did a week ago or else the judge might have more sympathy for her."

After the judge asked DDA Harmon to present the State's case, Lois summarized the case and described Diane's screaming tirades against both Brenda and Sgt. Gabriel. She then called Brenda to the stand. Brenda gave her account of the attack on her and told of using her martial arts training to disarm Ms. Black.

She was about to describe Priority Homicide's attempts to interview Ms. Black and her ongoing hatred directed at her when Diane screamed, "I wish you had died, bitch!" before her lawyer could stop her.

The judge gaveled the court to order and told Ms. Black to refrain from any more outbursts. He then asked DDA Harmon if she had any more witnesses to present today. "Not at this time, your honor."

The defense attorney arose and stated he had no questions to ask at this time and that he was requesting bail for Ms. Black. But the judge denied the request for bail, ordering instead a mental health evaluation. He then adjourned the hearing pending receipt of the results of the psychiatrist and psychologist's reports.

A month later Brenda received a call from Lois Harmon. "I think you can rest easy, Chief Johnson. The mental health exam results show a woman with a high level of disturbance and makes a point of saying that you would probably not be safe if she were to be released."

"Well, I can't say I'm happy about that but at least it doesn't sound like she's gonna be back out on the street any time soon."

"No, not for a long time," Lois agreed.

"Will she go to trial or get off due to mental illness?"

"The report states that she knew right from wrong so it'll go to trial. The State will ask for the maximum sentence so she should be in prison for many, many years."

"Thank you, DDA Harmon. That's very reassurin. Now I can take the gun out from under my pillow. It is incredibly hard to sleep on."

Lois laughed, "You're welcome, Chief Johnson. But the one you need to be thanking is Agent Howard. His interrogation of her was exactly what we needed. That confession combined with your testimony are going to win the case for us. I'll be back in touch when we begin getting ready for trial."

That weekend Brenda and Fritz went skating. They were both ridiculously awkward on skates but they had a good time laughing at themselves and enjoying the warm sunshine. But what appealed to Brenda the most was the assortment of oddballs that seemed to perpetually inhabit Venice Beach. She loved looking at the hippies, the street players, and the absolute freaks that looked back at them and laughed as they flailed their way down the boardwalk. When they'd entertained everyone enough and were taking off their skates, Fritz leaned back against the bench and said, "You know, a lot of tourists are afraid of these people. And I don't think I'd want to be out here alone at night. But I doubt any of them are as dangerous as Diane Black. And no one would be afraid to pass by her at night."

"Yeah. You just never know," Brenda agreed.

"But one thing I do know is that I am so happy to still have you to come home to every night."

Brenda smiled and took his hand. "Come on. Let's go home." She pointed across the street. "By way of that ice cream shop over there." They walked toward the ice cream shop hand in hand, each reflecting on how fortunate they were to have the other in their lives.

The End

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